Pulsed Electrolysis Promotes CO₂ Reduction on Tin Oxide Catalyst.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RR) performance depends on catalysts, electrolyzers, and techniques.
• Pulsed electrolysis shows promise for improving CO2RR selectivity and stability, particularly with copper-based catalysts.
• Research on pulsed electrolysis for tin-based CO2RR catalysts is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the CO2 reduction selectivity of tin oxide electrocatalysts.
• To compare performance under constant potential electrolysis (CPE) and pulsed potential electrolysis (PPE).
• To investigate catalyst behavior and surface changes during CO2 reduction.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) experiments.
• Constant potential electrolysis (CPE) and pulsed potential electrolysis (PPE) techniques.
• Characterization of tin oxide electrocatalyst before and after reactions.

Main Results:

• Tin oxide exhibited higher selectivity towards formate production under PPE compared to CPE.
• The tin oxide catalyst reconstructed into a Sn-SnO2 composite under both CPE and PPE.
• Higher selectivity under PPE is attributed to SnOx formation induced by anodic potential pulses.

Conclusions:

• Pulsed potential electrolysis is a promising technique for enhancing tin oxide electrocatalyst performance in CO2RR.
• Catalyst reconstruction and surface SnOx formation play crucial roles in improving formate selectivity.
• Further investigation into pulsed electrolysis for tin-based CO2RR catalysts is warranted.